


put your arms around me

by WitchoftheWaste



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 05:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4775723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchoftheWaste/pseuds/WitchoftheWaste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is up late working on an essay and Merlin makes him go to bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	put your arms around me

**Author's Note:**

> This work is unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own; all characters belong to the BBC and Shine.
> 
> The title is a quote from 'Arms' by Christina Perri.

'Mrmph.' Arthur tried to bury his head into his laptop keyboard.

'Yeah, that's coherent.' Merlin pulled Arthur's head up. 'Come on. You've been working on that stupid essay for hours and hours, and now you aren't even working. You are asleep. On your keyboard.' He grabbed Arthur's shoulder before he could fall back down onto his laptop.

'I was not asleep! I was... resting my eyes.' Arthur peered up at him, vision blurred with tiredness.

'So you meant to write seven pages of ghyjjbnvvvvvvv?' Merlin leaned towards the screen.

Arthur looked at his laptop in surprise. He wasn't supposed to be this tired. He had already drunk five cups of revolting coffee...

'Even before the Vs, I don't think you've got a single paragraph break for three pages.' Merlin was leaning past Arthur, his hands resting lightly on the keyboard, as his eyes scanned the document in front of him. Arthur took a moment to press his face into the sleeve of Merlin's t-shirt, the fabric soft and worn from frequent use.

Merlin sighed and looked away from the computer. 'Arthur, there's a sentence here that literally lasts a page.  Come to bed.' He made what Arthur privately referred to as 'the puppy face', his eyes going very wide. Arthur closed his eyes insistently. He was too busy to deal with the puppy face, really he was.

'Merlin, I can't. I've got to deal with this essay.' Why did Merlin have to smell so good? He wanted to just snuggle up and - No. Essays. Important work stuff.

'The essay will still be there in the morning. And it will be better written in the morning, because you will have _rested._ ' Merlin made an exasperated sound and tried to pull Arthur out of his chair. Arthur just flopped sleepily back down, burying his face in Merlin's side.

Arthur smiled into Merlin's shirt, as Merlin brushed his lips over Arthur's neck and into his hair, ruffling it with his breath.

'Arthur,' Merlin whispered into his temple. 'Arthur. Bed. It's that flat thing in the next room. You lie down on it, and then you pull up the covers and close your eyes andthen you sleep. Sleep.'

Arthur managed to look up at Merlin with a roll of his eyes, but, god, he _was_ tired. He could sleep for a little bit. Merlin was right; the essay would still be there in the morning... 'Fine, fine. But don't be smug about this later,' he tried to glare, but his words slurred together and Arthur was pretty sure he didn't sound threatening at all.

Merlin pulled him up again, and somehow they managed to stagger into the bedroom.

Arthur collapsed onto the bed, already snuggling into one of the pillows. The bed was soft and Arthur thanked providence that he had been working in nothing more than a t-shirt and boxers, because now that he was lying down he couldn't imagine getting up ever again. He made a small noise of pure tiredness and pleasure in the back of his throat, and nestled further into the pillow.

Merlin swept Arthur's hair off his face and dropped a kiss on his forehead, then the tip of his nose, and finally a soft brush on his mouth. 'There. Now go to sleep, you idiot,' he said against Arthur's mouth.

Arthur felt the bed dip, and Merlin draped an arm around his waist, warm and heavy and comforting.

''M not an idiot,' he mumbled into the pillow, stroking Merlin's arm absentmindedly.

'Yes, you are,' came the reply, 'but you're my idiot, and I love you.' Merlin kissed the nape of his neck.

Arthur smiled sleepily. 'Love you too.'


End file.
